Patricia de Stacy Harrison

The Honorable Patricia de Stacy Harrison is the president and chief executive officer of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the leading funder of public radio and public television programming for the American people. Under her leadership, Ms. Harrison has strengthened public service media through the strategic focus of CPB in three important areas: Digital: CPB investments in innovation and technology; Diversity: CPB investments in and commitment to diversity of content, talent and service; and Dialogue: CPB investments in local community engagement, partnerships and service.

To formalize this commitment, Ms. Harrison established the first Diversity and Innovation Fund for public media — radio, television, online and mobile.

Under Ms. Harrison’s leadership in 2011, CPB launched American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen, public media’s long-term commitment to supporting community-based solutions to help young people succeed in school and life. To date, over 125 stations in 49 states are working with more than 1,700 local partners and schools to encourage students to stay on track to graduation. For her work and commitment to helping young people, Ms. Harrison was honored in 2016 with a Promise of America Award from the America’s Promise Alliance.

Ms. Harrison is also chairman of the Leadership Council of Women and Girls Lead, an innovative public media initiative designed to focus, educate and connect women, girls and their allies across the globe to address the challenges of the 21st century. In 2012, she was included on the Forbes list of “Women Changing the World in Media” for establishing Women and Girls Lead and her continued leadership on the project.

Prior to joining CPB in 2005, Ms. Harrison served as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs and Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. A former entrepreneur, Ms. Harrison is a frequent speaker and writer on the subjects of leadership, communication strategy and constituency building. She is the recipient of many awards and honors, including the David Lynch Foundation Lifetime in Service Award, the Ellis Island 2017 Medal of Honor Award, the 2008 Leadership Award from the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the U.S. Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award.

She sits on the board of the National Italian American Foundation. She is also a member of the Board of Advisors at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.

Ms. Harrison received her B.A. from American University, Washington D.C., and honorary doctorates from the American University of Rome in 2002 and the School of Public Affairs, American University, in 2017. She is a former Thomas Colloquium on Free Enterprise guest lecturer at Youngstown State University in Ohio and was a visiting fellow at the Institute for Public Service of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania, in 2000, and at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, in 1992.

She is the author of two books, A Seat At The Table: An Insider's Guide for America's New Women Leaders and America's New Women Entrepreneurs.